During the Chinese Grand Prix, Ricciardo was found guilty of overtaking Hülkenberg under safety car conditions. The penalty will be applicable at the next race in Miami, as Daniel Ricciardo had already retired from the Chinese Grand Prix and could not serve the penalty there.
As per formula1.com, “There was no justifiable basis for Car 3 to overtake Car 27 while the race was under Safety Car conditions. We accordingly imposed a 10-second time penalty on Car 3. As Car 3 was unable to serve the penalty due to retirement, we imposed a three-grid place penalty to Car 3 for the next race in which the driver participates.”
The Incident And Daniel Ricciardo’s Reaction
The incident in question occurred when Daniel Ricciardo retook his position from Hülkenberg after the German had overtaken him just before the end of the first safety car period. As the cars prepared for the first safety car restart, Ricciardo was hit from behind by Lance Stroll, who misjudged his braking point. Hülkenberg, witnessing the collision, opted to overtake both drivers and take the restart. However, during the second safety car period, Ricciardo overtook the Germans, leading to an investigation by the stewards
After the race, Daniel Ricciardo expressed frustration with Lance Stroll, who had blamed him for the incident. Despite outperforming his teammate during the race weekend, Ricciardo was visibly angry when he learned of Stroll’s comments. He emphasized that the incident occurred behind a safety car, and drivers cannot predict the leader’s actions. In his own words,
“The only thing you’ve got to do is watch the car in front; we can’t assume that we’re going to go in Turn 14. I’m doing my best not to say what I want to say. But f**k that guy – and I’m being nice still”.
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